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Hello! I have been working on this post for two weeks! Finally I made myself sit down for a few minutes to get it posted. I have been a bit distracted lately while trying to figure out a few things and sadly I have mostly binged watched a few shows rather than posting. If you are in need of something to watch, The Sinner on USA/ Netflix is excellent, as is Safe, also on Netflix. I'm also watching Sharp Objects which is a current series on HBO, as well as Absentia which is on Amazon Prime. All are mystery-thriller sorts of shows and I love them, although they are not for the faint of heart. So I mentioned this soup in my last post so here it is. I have a few pictures to share before we get to the recipe.

Tom and Beau came for a visit over the 4th of July. We took a little road trip to Blowing Rock for a post-4th festival. Sadly it starting thundering and raining about half way there. I never thought to check the weather in the mountains as it was beautiful in Winston-Salem. Beau was scared, and how sweet - he hid his head behind Tom. Not sure why he didn't get in the floor board! Blowing Rock was full of tourists, rainy, and didn't allow dogs in the park. Needless to say, we didn't stay. The flowers were beautiful though!

I had a great time with Beau. I am always amazed how much I love that dog. He is now 5 years old and is such a good dog. Almost always he is the "branch manager", loves to swim, stands still for a rinse off and drying, and now lays under the table at the beer hall just like a European dog! Pets bring so much to your life. I truly believe all the research about pets keeping you healthy and extending your life expectancy!

The flowers in the neighborhood have been so colorful. We've had a lot of rain so everything is nice and green. And we have mushrooms! I love the cleome in this pictures. i tried to grown them several times in Houston with no luck. They seem to do well here, so maybe I'll try some next year.

And here are a few things from my walks. Someone is very successfully growing a huge pumpkin! And look at the cars in this driveway. Nice, huh? And this sign. Really? They have one for both directions on the sidewalk. I guess they are serious!

Okay, so if you are still with me, here is the soup. This is a very rich soup. It's best along side something else, rather than as a huge bowl for a meal. It is a Thai flavored soup, rich with coconut milk, flavored with lime and ginger. The main ingredient is kale. The combination of greens with coconut make it a very healthy choice. I think it tasted better the second day as the flavors have a chance to marry. If it is too rich for you, thin it with a bit more broth or water. It is smooth, creamy, and very satisfying.

Thanks for reading along and sharing some of my summer with me!

Kale Soup with Coconut and Lime

by Catherine Craig

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 90 minutes

Keywords: soup/stew gluten-free vegan vegetarian kale coconut milk

Ingredients (8 servings)

8 cups vegetable broth

1 can coconut milk

3 pieces fresh ginger, 1 inch long, peeled

1 lime, rind peeled off into long strips

3 cloves garlic, peeled

2 shallots, peeled and cut in 1/2

½ teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons coconut oil

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced

1 bunch kale , large, leaves removed from stems

2 lime , zest and juice

1 tablespoon maple syrup

salt, to taste

Instructions

In a large pot, combine the vegetable stock with the coconut milk, ginger, garlic, shallots, lime zest and salt. Bring to a low boil over medium heat. Cook for 20 minutes. Decrease heat to low and simmer 30 minutes. Strain to remove the ginger, garlic, shallots, and lime zest. Set aside.

Chop the kale stems and the leaves keeping each separate from the other.

Heat the oil in a large soup pot. Add the kale stems and saute over medium high heat with a pinch of salt for 10 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook stirring for about 2 minutes until fragrant.

Add the kale, stirring as it wilts. You may have to add in in batches so it will all fit. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and cook for 5 minutes. Add the broth and cook until very tender between 5 and 15 minutes depending on your kale.

Working in batches, add the broth and kale to a blender and process until very smooth. Return all the blended soup to the pot. Stir in the lime zest, lime juice, and maple syrup. Gently warm. Taste for seasoning and add salt and lime juice as needed.

Welcome to Your Best Defense! I'm Catherine - a nurse, health coach, trained plant-based chef -trying every day to achieve health and ward off cancer and illness through delicious food and good living, So glad you stopped by to join me in my quest!